PITTSGROVE, N.J. — White Manor Country Club’s Steve Skurla and Broad Run Golf Club’s Jon-Michael Socaris carded respective 2-under-par 70s to share medalist honors in a Golf Association of Philadelphia Amateur Championship Qualifier at a pleasant Running Deer Golf Club (par 72, 6,682 yards) Saturday.
The two led a field of 73 players hoping to grab one of 21 qualifying positions and ties available for the Championship proper, set for June 9-11 & 14 at White Manor.
The cut line stopped at 77 by day’s end.
Greens in regulation marked a theme among the medalists; Skurla hit 15, Socaris 16. That isn’t where the similarities end either. Both Skurla and Socaris played Running Deer for the first time Saturday. Both birdied their second holes in the shotgun format. Both bogeyed a par 3 thanks to a missed green. And both are transplants looking to make a mark on the GAP circuit.
Skurla, who started on No. 10, carried the water hazard on No. 11 (par 4, 357 yards) with a monstrous drive, nudged a wedge 60 yards and canned a downhill 35-footer for birdie. He reached the par 5, 535-yard 14th hole in two strokes with a screaming 6-iron from 198 yards. Skurla eased a 40-footer from the fringe into tap-in territory. He missed the par 3, 170-yard No. 7 left with a 6-iron with a 6-iron and failed to get up-and-down. A birdie on the par 5, 518-yard No. 9 overshadowed the error. Skurla caught the left greenside bunker in two strokes with a 5-iron from 209 yards, but splashed out to 10 feet and executed the subpar putt.
“This was my first time playing in a GAP event, so I was very excited to get out here and play well,” Skurla, 22, of Villanova, Pa., said.
Skurla is a Chicago, Ill. native and Villanova University graduate. During two of his four years as a Wildcat, he was roommates with Brian Colbert, the 2012 GAP Amateur Champion and a former White Manor member.
“He was the reason I came to Villanova. He was a year ahead of me and we’re friends from Chicago,” Skurla, who works in sales, said. ““He was very influential in improving my golf game, so I owe him a lot of credit.”
Skurla, who qualified for the 2010 U.S. Amateur, looks forward to competing at White Manor for the Championship proper.
“I’ve had three years of experience on the course. I’m very comfortable there,” he said.
Starting on No. 3, Socaris poured in a wild 80-footer on his next hole (par 5, 520 yards) for birdie. He powered a 4-hybrid from 200 yards onto the back of the large green complex before a bit of magic ensued.
“There is a big mound, so I had to put it up and down, and then just let it trickle down,” Socaris, 28, of Chadds Ford, Pa., said. “It just broke to the right at the end, caught the right lip and circled in.”
That 4-hybrid didn’t serve Socaris well on the par 3, 200-yard 13th hole, where he missed the green right, ran a chip 15 feet past the flagstick and missed the comebacker for par. Socaris recovered with a birdie on No. 15 (par 4, 333 yards) after knocking a 60-degree wedge 80 yards to 12 feet. Another rowdy red figure came on the par 4, 435-yard 18th hole. Socaris hit a 6-iron 180 yards to 25 feet and rolled a putt that negotiated slopes accordingly. His golf ball crashed into the back of the jar, popped up and plummeted in.
Socaris is originally from upstate New York. He started playing in GAP events two years ago and hopes Saturday’s subpar performance is a sign of subpar scores to come.
“Today, it all came together from tee to green, so I wants to continue with rounds like this,” Socaris, an auditor for the IRS, said. “I’m striking the ball well. I wasn’t in trouble once at all, which is key here because there are a couple of holes on the back nine where you can put yourselves in bad spots and make a big number. It’s kind of a tight course. You just have to keep it in play.”
Socaris advanced into match play in the 2005 U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club. He also competed in the British Amateur in 2006.
Saturday’s qualifier was the second of three used to determine who will compete in the Championship proper. The last will be held Monday, May 19 at Torresdale-Frankford Country Club.
Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 150 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. As Philadelphia’s Most Trusted Source of Golf Information, the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
Qualifiers
Name, club
Scores
Jon-Michael Socaris, Broad Run Golfer’s Club
70
Steve Skurla, White Manor Country Club
70
T.J. Summers, Commonwealth National Golf Club
71
Zachary Falone, Rolling Green Golf Club
72
Jason Loehrs, Philadelphia Publinks GA
73
Steven Passalacqua, Wedgwood Country Club
74
Aaron Fricke, Honeybrook Golf Club
74
James Gillespie, Wedgwood Country Club
74
Peter Bradbeer, Merion Golf Club
75
Justin Elwell, Running Deer Golf Club
75
Lodie Van Tonder, Sakima Country Club
75
Michael DiMeglio, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
75
Paul Yun, Applecross Country Club
76
Sawyer Wolfers, GAP Junior eClub
76
Liam McAnally, Applecross Country Club
76
Matthew Ade, Riverton Country Club
76
James Chojnacki, Valleybrook Country Club
76
Daniel Altieri, Hopewell Valley Golf Club
77
Blaine Lafferty, Burlington Country Club
77
Johan van Schalkwyk, Merchantville Country Club
77
Alex Willey, Burlington Country Club
77
Failed to qualify
Chris Meares, Running Deer Golf Club
78
Steve Oh, Philadelphia Cricket Club
78
Ronan Culligan, Lookaway Golf Club
78
Bradley Roberts, Little Mill Country Club
78
Blake Cleary, Wilmington Country Club
78
Kyle Ginty, Talamore Country Club
78
J.B. Bradbeer, Merion Golf Club
79
Gil Moniz, Jr., Running Deer Golf Club
79
Jim Engler, Sea Oaks Golf Club
79
Nick Calabrese, Edgmont Country Club
79
William Breskman, Rolling Green Golf Club
79
Forrest Swisher, Jericho National Golf Club
79
Matthew Cleary, Wilmington Country Club
79
Bobby Svigals, Radnor Valley Country Club
79
Alejandro Velez, Indian Valley Country Club
80
Nicholas Hermansader, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
80
Kevin Levitsky, Wilmington Country Club
80
Will Holt, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club
80
James Levy, Radnor Valley Country Club
80
Drew Petri, Jericho National Golf Club
80
Brendan Young, Chester Valley Golf Club
81
Steven Altieri, Hopewell Valley Golf Club
81
Liam Lafferty, Burlington Country Club
81
Chris Hunger, Philadelphia Publinks GA
81
Joseph Dulka, Bellewood Country Club
81
Greg Pecko, Jr., DuPont Country Club
82
George Hagstoz, Riverton Country Club
82
Nic Pavao, Golf Course at Glen Mills
82
Jack Bondi, Medford Village Country Club
82
Robert Fiori, Plymouth Country Club
82
Phil Cillo, Little Mill Country Club
83
Paul Altieri, Hopewell Valley Golf Club
83
Andrew Sterge, Applebrook Golf Club
83
L.J. Georgetti, Wildwood Golf & Country Club
83
Ryan Cleary, Wilmington Country Club
83
Ryan Bowman, Aronimink Golf Club
84
Brian Sexton, Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club
84
Dan Smith, Running Deer Golf Club
85
Jason Miller, Lu Lu Country Club
85
Tim Freeh, Back Creek Golf Club
85
Joseph Hughes, Little Mill Country Club
85
Lance Oberparleiter, Laurel Creek Country Club
85
Thomas Lindberg, St. Davids Golf Club
86
Paul Mauer, Stonewall
86
Andy Butler, Meadia Heights Golf Club
86
Ryan Zinsky, Burlington Country Club
87
Trevor Loeb, Cherry Valley Country Club
88
Paul Bizzaro, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
88
Jimmy Chang, Yardley Country Club
89
Jeffrey Giglio, Little Mill Country Club
WD
Andrew Jaskel, Torresdale-Frankford Country Club
NC
WD – withdrawal; NC – no card
